Clock and timekeeping means



Nov. 7, 1933. A. H. NEUREUTHER CLOCK AND TIMEKEEPING MEANS 2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed Jan. 27, 1932 R 0 N m m Nov. 7, 1933.

CLOCK AND TIMEKEEPING MEANS Filed Jan. 27, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 7, 1933 UNITED STATES CLOCK AND TIMEKEEPING MEANS Andrew H. Neureuther, Peru, 111., assignor to Western Clock Company,- Peru, 11]., a corporation of Illinois I Application January 27, 1932. Serial No. 589,149

16 Claims.

My invention relates to clocks in which the clock hands are continuously driven by means of the usual clock movement whose timing means comprises a balance wheel or a pendulum 5 which is driven by any power means such as the usual spring or weight which kept in proper tension or operative condition by means of power stored from a synchronous motor driven from the alternating current from a commercial lighting system. Said synchronous motor being continuously in step with the alternations of said alternating current so that it can be made to record time on the clock hands, is further, in my invention, so associated with the 15 minute hand (or the second hand) of my clock so that a means intermittently actuated by said synchronous motor registers with a co-operating member fastened on the same shaft that the minute hand is fastened on, to periodically each minute (or even fractional part thereof) bring the minute hand to the correct time externally impressed on the usual commercial alternating current system and reproduced by the synchronous motor connected thereto.

I accomplish these objects by the means shown in the accompanying drawings in which.

Fig. 1 shows a front view of my clock.

Fig. 2 shows a side view of my clock.

Fig. 3 shows a partial sectional view of my 30 clock along a line 1-1 of Fig. 1, omitting the synchronous motor.

Fig. 4 is'a front view of a modification showing another method for correcting the minute hand.

Similar numerals represent similar parts 35 throughout the several views.

In the drawings 1 represents the front plate of a clock movement, 2 represents the rear plate, of same, and 3 is an auxiliary plate positioned adjacent to and in front of the front plate 1.

4o 4 is a synchronous motor preferably of the selfstarting type which is operated from the current from the usual commercial lighting system. The rotor of said motor has a pinion 5 which engages a gear wheel 6 whose pinion '7 engages a 45 gear wheel 8 which has a pinion 9 which engages a gear, wheel 10 which has a pinion 11 that en- ..gages a gear wheel 12. Gear wheel 12'has a pinion 13 that engages a gear 14 fastened on a shaft or arbor 15 journaled in said plate 2.

5o Fastened on said shaft 15 is a regular clock spring barrel 16 whose inner circumference .engages usual resilient shoe or frictional means 17 fastened to the outer end of the usual clock spring 18 which frictional means 1'7 slides on the. i5 inner surface of said barrel thereby preventing the over winding of said spring 18 whose other end is fastened to a shaft 19 which is in line with the shaft 15 and is journaled in plates 1 and 3. Mounted on shaft 19' is a gear wheel 20 by means of which the power of the spring is 50 transmitted through the gears 21 and 22 and associated pinions to the escapement wheel 24 and balance wheel 25. The shaft 19 is so geared in relation to the oscillations of the balance wheel 25 that it rotates approximately one revolution per minute. In the clock construction herewith submitted I prefer to have the shaft 19 'just a trifle slower than one revolution per minute.

Frictionally mounted on said shaft 19 by 70 means of a resilient disk 26 fastened on said shaft 19 is a gear wheel 27 which engages a gear wheel 28 mounted on a centrally positioning shaft or arbor 29 which is journaled in plate 3 and the frame of motor l and which shaft is so centrally located that it carries the usual minute hand 30. This minute hand 30 is geared with the concentrically and journally mounted hour hand 31 by means of the usual dial gear train, not shown.

Fastened on said shaft or arbor 29 is a ratchet wheel 32 having preferably 60 teeth. Said ratchet wheel 32 has a pawl 33 which is pivotally mounted on a lever 34 by means .of a pin 35 and held in engagement with the teeth of 85 the ratchet by means of a spring 3'7. Lever 34 is journalled on shaft 29 as shown. Lever 34. has a slotted aperture 39 through which a pin 40 passes, which pin 4.0 is fastened in an. aperture in crank disk 41 which is mounted on the shaft 42 on which the pinion 11 and the gear wheel 10 are fastened. Said shaft 42 is so connected in the spring winding gear train from the motor, as above described, that it makes exactly one.revolution per minute when the motor 95 is operating on an alternating current having a frequency of sixty cycles per second so that the pawl will always move over one tooth of the ratchet wheel which has teeth. As the pawl is always moved over the space of one tooth of the ratchet each minute it is evident if. the slotted aperture is of the proper contour and if the ratchet wheel, which is always moving with the. minute hand does not completely move one tooth space or 1/60 of the dial circumference that the pawl each minute will at the extreme point of its forward'motion push the ratchet and the minute hand ahead the proper amount thus correcting the time with the time element of the alternating current. each and every minute when the self-starting synchronous motor is in operation. And it is doing this at the same time that the motor winds up the clock spring that keeps the balance wheel operating. In case that there is a current interruption this clock spring is such and is always sufficiently wound, to continue on keeping the balance wheel operating to keep time on the hands. When the current interruption ceases the self starting synchronous motor will again operate to correct the time each minute as above mentioned.

In the modification shown in l I use a toothed wheel mounted on the minute hand shaft instead of the ratchet wheel which toothed wheel has 60 pointed teeth as shown. Instead of the disk 41 and the pin 40 on the shaft 42 I use a cam 43 having the drop ofl. point as shown. The lever 34 is replaced by a lever 44 which is pivotally mounted at 45 on plate I. and has a projection 46 which engages the cam, and has a roller 47 at its end which is journaled on said lever 44 by means of a pin 48 and which roller drops into the space between two teeth on toothed wheel 49 and thus positions the minute hand, the spring 50 attached to said lever in conjunction with the acquired momentum of said lever serving as the means to position said roller between said teeth. It is evident that with the arrangement shown in the modification, it is immaterial whether the clock balance runs approximately slow or fast or correct, so that the device shown in the modification is of universal application. It is evident from the shape of the cam 43 and the incline of the tooth that the roller is promptly removed from the tooth space after the time has been corrected thereby. Should the motor stop at this point due to a current interruption, it is evident, that the roller 47 will ride over the teeth tips without disturbing the time on the hands.

It will be understood, of course, that while I have shown one or two forms of my invention I do not wish to limit myself to the exact forms shown but desire to have them taken in a sense illustrative of any and all the forms oi my invention that will come fairly within the scope of my claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a clock movement having power means driving hands at a rate approximately that of the standard time rate, a synchronous motor driven from a commercial alterhating current system continuously storing power in said power means and means forming a part of said clock movement associated with said motor and said hands for periodically setting said hands to correct standard time independently of the "time rate of said movement.

2. In combination, a clock movement having power means driving hands at a rate approximately that of the standard time rate, a selfstarting synchronous motor driven from a commercial alternating current system continuously storing power in said power means and means forming a part of said clock movement associated with said motor and said hands for periodically setting said hands to correct standard time independently of the time rate of said movement. 1

3. In combination, a clock movement having power means driving hands at a rate less than the standard time rate, a synchronous motor driven from a commercial alternating current escapes system continuously storing power in said power means and means forming a part of said clock movement associated with said motor and said hands for periodically setting said hands to correct standard time independently of the time rate of said movement.

4. In combination, a clock movement having power means driving hands at a rate less than the standard time rate, a self-starting synchronous motor driven from a commercial alternating current system continuously storing power in said power means and means forming a part of said cloclr movement associated with said motor and said hands for periodically setting said hands to correct standard time independently of the time rate of said movement.

5. In combination, a clock movement having power means driving hands at a rate approximately that of the standard time rate, a synchronous motor driven from a commercial alternating current system continuously maintaining a limited amount of power in said power means and means forming a part of said clock movement associated with said motor and said hands for periodically setting said hands to correct standard time independently of the time rate of said movement.

6. In combination, a clock movement having power means driving hands at a rate approximately that of the standard time. rate, a selfstarting synchronous motor driven from a commercial alternating current system continuously maintaining a limited amount of power in said power means and means forming a part of said clock movement associated with said motor and said hands for periodically setting said hands to correct standard time independently of the time rate of said movement.

7. In combination, a clock movement having power'means driving hands at a rate less than the standard time rate, a synchronous motor driven from a cpmmercial alternating current system continuously maintaining a limited amount of power in said power means and means forming a part oi said clock movement associated with said motor and said hands for periodically setting said hands to correct standard time independently oi. the time rate of said movement.

13. In combination, a clock movement having associated with said motor and said hands for periodically setting said hands to correct standard time independently of the time rate of said movement.

9. In combination, a spring driven clock movement driving hands at a rate approximately that of the standard time rate, a synchronous motor driven from a commercial alternating current system continuously winding said spring, means for preventing overwinding said spring and means forming a part of said clock movement associated with said motor and said hands for periodically setting said hands to correct standard time independently of the time rate of said movement.

10. In combination, a spring driven clock movement driving hands at a rate approximately that of the standard time rate, a. se1f-starting synchronous motor driven from a commercial alsaid spring, means for preventing overwinding said spring and means. forming a part of said clock movement associated with said motor and said hands for periodically setting saidhands to correct standard time independently of the time rate of said movement. v

11. In combination, -a spring driven clock movement driving hands at a rate lessthan the standard time rate, a synchronous motor driven from a commercial alternating current system continuously winding said spring, means for preventing overwinding said spring and means forming a part of said clock movement associated with said motor and said hands for pe- I riodically setting said hands to correct standard movement.

time independently of the time rate of said 12. In combination, a spring driven clock movement driving hands at a rate less than the standard time rate, a self-starting synchronous motor driven from a commercial alternating current system continuously winding said spring,

means for preventing overwinding said spring and means forming a part of said clock movement associated with said motor and said hands for periodically setting said hands to correct standard time independently of the time rate of said movement.

' 13. In combination, a spring driven clock movement driving hands at a rate approximately that of the standard time rate, a synchronous motor driven from a commercial alternating current system continuously winding said spring,

means forpreventing overwinding said spring and means forming a part of said clock movement associated with said motor and'said hands for periodically setting said hands to correct standard time independently of the time rate of said movement, said means comprising a toothed wheel mounted on the minute hand arbor, a

lever pivotally mounted adjacent to said toothed wheel, resilient means attached to said lever and a cam rotated by said motor.

14. In combination, a spring driv'en clock movement driving hands at a rate approximately that of the standard time rate, a self-starting synchronous motor driven from a commercial alternating current system continuously winding said lever and a cam rotated by said motor.

15. In combination, a spring driven clock movement driving hands at a rate less than the standard time rate, a synchronous motor driven from a commercial alternating current system continuously winding said spring, means for preventing overwinding said spring and means forming a part of said clock movement associated with said motor and said hands for periodically setting said hands to correct standard time independently of the time rate of said movement, said means comprising a ratchet wheel mounted on the minute hand arbor, a pawl actuated by said motor to intermittently register with a tooth of said ratchet wheel near the/end of each succeeding period of time.

16. In combination, a spring driven clock movement driving hands at .a rate less than the standard time rate, a self-starting synchronous motor driven from a commercial alternating current system continuously winding said spring,

ment associated with said-motor and said hands for periodically setting said hands to correct standard time independently of the time rate of said movement, said means comprising a ratchet wheel mounted on the minute hand arbor, a pawl actuated by said motor to intermittently register with a tooth of said ratchet wheel near the end of each succeeding period of time.

ANDREW H. NEUREUTHER. 

